BroCode
by gee.thanks
Summary: Fang's twin brother Shade is going out with the girl down the street –AKA MAX-one problem? He's only doing it to settle an age-old deal. One sealed in spit the day the blonde moved in…11 years ago. AH no wings!
1. Just Another Day

Fang's twin brother Shade is going out with the girl down the street –AKA MAX-one problem? He's only doing it because of an age-old deal. One sealed in spit the day the blonde moved in…11 years ago. AH no wings!

Disclaimer: don't own Max Ride or any of her flock or life.. howe'r, this plot came to mind and I decided to run with it.  
I'm not doing a big "hi, my name's Max..blahblahblah" intro or anything since if you're reading this, you're a MR fan and you know what everyone looks like. The lifestyles and families will be revealed as the plot thickens and honestly I don't feel like writing the same intro that every other story has sooooooo..on with the story!

**Chapter 1**

"Mom! I'm going to the park! I have my phone!"

"Wait, Max. Be back by seven, you're father's in town and he got reservations for desserts at Cheesecake Factory alright?"

_Bleh._ "only 'cause I love you, Ma." I smiled as I shut the door behind me. Standing on my driveway were my two best friends, Shade and Fang, part uno and dos of the three amigos, waiting for me.

"Hey guys, try to kill each other lately?" I teased, walking between them and threading my arms through theirs as we walked into the street. .(I mean, come on, you ever tried to fit three people wide on a sidewalk intended for chihuhuas and three year olds? It's kinda tough, just sayin.) Our neighborhood consists of two streets, a circle, and a park-meaning, cars are scarce. Our first stop was Iggy's, our mostly blind chef friend next door.

"Oi! Ig! I'd kinda like to see your face every once in a while, could you tell yourself to stop growing already?" I joked, as he joined us from his spot at the mailbox. He's already gone from 5' 5'' in freshman year to 6' 5'' and we're just juniors in a month or two "Geez, beanpole.." I muttered shaking my head

"Well I'd kinda like to see your face when I do this, too, but we both know that's not gonna happen." He smirked as he caught me in a headlock and started rubbing his knuckles on my hair.

"OW! She BIT me!" Iggy howled as he pulled himself away from me, leaving Fang laughing quietly and Shade smiling.

"Thaaat's m'girl" Shade said wrapping an arm around my shoulders, "don't mess with me, I'm armed"

That sent us into a new round of laughter as we came up on Nudge's house, earning us confused stares from her but she and her foster siblings Gazzy and Angel were filled in and laughing along with us.

"Hey Fang! Fetch!" Ig yells as he throws a frisbee into the small park, only to have it land on the picnic table we were headed to.

"woof" Fang smirked as he handed it back to Iggy.

"good boy!" Ig cooed as he patted Fang's head and took the Frisbee back. "now, who wants chicken salad sandwich a la Iggy?"

"uh..Ig? too late.." Nudge giggled as she watched me bite into the sandwich I'd stolen from his backpack during our laugh attack.

"ah man.." he whined

The rest of the day went pretty much like that, playing Frisbee, watching the local little league game from the playground, and talking over the campfire. But I was broken from my July bliss by my phone vibrating..7:32…oohhh crap.. _Jeb._

_Be as critical as you want, flames are fine. Constructive criticism is grrreaatly appreciated and comments & questions'd be great._


	2. Perfect For You

whoa. long chapter..enjoy and lemme know what you think, i'm already half done with the next chapter so it might be up..oh, tomorrow?

BroCode-Ch.2

"ohhhh shoot. ohh shoot...bye guys, call ya later!" I rushed, running down the street. I was home a mere two minutes later and up the stairs after muttering a breathless 'hello' to everyone staring from the living room. My mom joined me in my room moments later with a dress and a bag in her hands.

"Get changed, fast, I'll do your makeup while you do your hair. Hurry, he was livid when you didn't show up to the restaurant." I stripped down and slid the dress over my head, turning my back to my mom to do up my zipper.

"Why do I have to wear a flippin' dress? We already missed the reservation, what does it matter now?" I grumbled, pulling my hair back into a side bun while trying 'not to scrunch my face too much' so my mom could do my makeup.

"Well, he said he made the reservation for 8:15 because he figured this would happen, he has strings tying him to everything so they would've gotten us in earlier if you'd been on time, the idiot." She muttered the last part just loud enough for me to hear and winked at my laughing face. "Now, let's attempt to survive another disastrous dessert date with Jeb, what to you think, Maximum?"

"Couldn't concur more, Mother." We walked down the hall, laughing from our horrible imitation of Jeb's posh 'foreign' trophy wife.

"Ready or not, here it comes." Mom mutters into my ear as a smug-looking Jeb approaches me.

"Late again, Maximum? Tsk tsk. I really was looking forward to a problem-free evening for once"

"Why, yes, _Jeb. _It appears that some other aspects of my life are far more pretentious in my mind than _you_. I'd apologize but, frankly, I could care less what _you _want so if we could get this night over with it would be _much_ appreciated." I kept my face blank as I channeled my best impression of 'Evangelique McVanderbild-Batchelder'. And yes, that really is her name. I kid you not.

"Very well, Maximum. It appears the car has pulled up so we'd best be on our way." He said, shock evident on his face for only a second before he showed false happiness and shooed my mom(who slipped me a high five before walking outside), his two sons-Dylan and Ari, and myself to the _limo_ waiting outside. WTC?

"Dylan, will your mother be joining us this evening?" my mom asked a while later, hoping to break the awkward silence in the car.

"Indeed Sarah, she's meeting us at the restaurant due to a late flight in." ugh. He's aggravating. "Miss Maximum, would you allow me to escort you in?" what?

"huh?" I received a scolding cough from Jeb for my misuse of 'proper speaking'. _Pompous moron, he's never cared before. _It was then that I realized we'd arrived at _La Petit Patisserie_ and everyone was waiting for me to get out of the car to go in. "oh, uh, no thank you, Dylan, I'll be quite fine on my own." I said watching with a silent satisfaction as his arrogant smirk was wiped clean off his face.

"Of course Miss Maximum." He muttered, looking disapprovingly at me behind Jeb's back. This only made my smirk grow.

* * *

Disaster.

The one word that's capable of describing how that night went.

Why? You ask, well let's see…

Was it the food? Oh, heck no. fake French place had hazelnut gelato.

Was it the fact that I had to wear a dress and sit between 'Miss Evangelique' and Dylan? Partly.

Was it the purpose of Jeb's entire visit? Abso-freakin-lutely

"_Maximum, what do you think of my son, Dylan?" Evangelique asked, turning her head to me, giving me a look over._

"_Why do you ask?" I arched an eyebrow in her direction._

"_well, my little Jebll (like Gerbil I'm guessing?) and I thought that since you two are of appropriate age, Dylan being slightly older, we compared your dominant traits and discovered through scientific outcome that a unity between the two of you would be most advantageous for the gene pool."_

"_I beg your pardon?" _

"_well, as both of you are of the age appropriate for marriage and having children and the McVanderbild-Batchelder science laboratory empire needs and heir, we went on a search for the mo—" Jeb started._

"_You are sick, Jeb." My mom hissed, standing up and grabbing my elbow to lead me to the door. _

"_Have them call a cab , I'll only be a minute." I said, looking my mother in the eyes. She nodded, winking at me and left for the front desk. "What. The. Heck. Are you really so deranged as to think that I would want ANYTHING to do with you after all these years? I never liked you, I never will like you, and I sure as heck will NEVER have anything but disgust toward you for the rest of my life. You are a sick, twisted scientist and I've never been happier that you married someone as messed up as you. You got what you always wanted. So do all of us a favor and leave me and my mom the h*** alone. Got it?" I turned around, finding my mother glaring smugly at Jeb and Evangelique and we walked away from them for what I hoped would be the last time but knew somewhere inside me that it wouldn't be._

* * *

"looks like you've got a visitor, I'll just go inside and catch up on my reruns" my mom said, patting my knees and getting up from her matching curled up position on the swing on the moonlit wrap-around porch to go inside, passing Shade on the way.

He took the open spot beside me and, turning to look at me, started, "Nobody got a call, Fang said that he was gonna come talk to you about it but I figured that since I'm your boyfriend and I haven't had any alone time with you in a while, I should do it." He said, putting an arm around me and pulling me closer. "What happened tonight, babe?"

I hesitated, no one knew the whole story with Jeb except Fang and I didn't feel like letting that change any time soon. "Let's just say Jeb won't be coming back for a long time" _I hope_ I added mentally.

"Babe, why won't you talk to me? I mean, whenever the group's together you're happy and joking around and you always seem to have nothing holding you back but...when you're with me it feels like you're pushing me away. Max, let me in. I'm your boyfriend, I really, truly care about you, and I want to help." He half-whispered pulling my chin up to his level with his right hand, his rich blue eyes searched mine for a few seconds until he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, sliding his hand into my hair and kissing me for a few seconds, leaving me breathless, and leaning his forehead onto mine. "I wish you would talk to me, Max. I feel like I don't know you at all." He whispered, both of our eyes closed as he ran his fingers through my hair. "I feel like you don't trust me at all"

I took a deep breath through my nose, exhaling slowly through my lips "Dang it, Max. You smell like cinnamon" he muttered, rubbing the side of his nose along mine and his right thumb along my jawline.

I let out a breathy laugh and put my left arm across me onto his knee and pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I do trust you, Shade, and thanks to tonight, it's nothing any of us have to worry about for a long, long time." I said quietly, afraid that if I spoke any louder, the fragile atmosphere that surrounded us would shatter.

Shade let out a long sigh through his nose and pulled me into a hug, lightly rubbing the bridge of his nose on my neck. "If you say so, Max." we held each other for a minute or two more until he pulled back, "My dad wanted me home to finish up with the garage cleaning so, I'll call you tomorrow?" I nodded. "Goodnight, Max" he said quietly, kissing me lightly on the cheek.

"G'night Shade" I said, and I watched his back as he walked away, to his house down the street. I thought I saw something move in the tree by my bedroom window but brushed it off and sat on the swing for a few more minutes before I went inside. Passing my mom on the couch, saying my goodnights to her, I made my way upstairs to my room.

I ran a brush through my hair and brushed my teeth before turning off my light. Soon after, I was greeted by a text from Fang, 'open your window, I'm getting bored out here.' I smiled and got up off my bed, pulling away my black-out curtains and blinds, only to be greeted by Fang's concern-laced nearly-black-they're-such-a-dark-blue eyes. I pulled my screen-less window open (he'd come through my window since I'd moved in, it was our thing) and he pulled himself through soundlessly.

"I'll never know how you can be so quiet all the time."

"years of practice, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah. How long have you been in my tree, Mr. Samuels?"

He shuddered, "ew, makes me sound like my dad. Bleh. Don't call me that, Maximum." He teased, smirking.

"ok then, how long have you been in my tree, Fangy?"

He growled, and play glared at me. "ever since the word 'reruns' came out of your mom's mouth, Maxy."

It was my turn to turn and pout at him. "why didn't you come say anything?"

His eyes seemed slightly sad as he turned away and said, "you guys were having a _moment_, I didn't want to interrupt." As hard as he'd tried, he couldn't keep his bitterness from showing through to me, I knew him too well.

"Fang, co—"

"nevermind, Maxy, now tell me. What'd the dipwad want this time?"

I eyed him warily before shrugging it off and sitting on the edge of my bed. "well, Evangelique, Dylan, and Ari were all there this time."

He plopped down next to me, muttered a quick 'huh' before I continued.

"turns out the twisted scientists are more messed up in the noggins than we thought. They 'compared the dominant traits' of me and Dylan and wanted to get us together to wed and multiply like some freaky scientific experiment to test how accurate genes pass down through generations and how planning stronger-gened people with other strong-gened people you get super-kids or some other crap like that."

"sick ba—"

"oh hi, Fang, I thought I felt a breeze coming from under the door."

"hehe. Hi Sarah, how are you?" Fang asked, sheepishly, already knowing my mom didn't mind.

"I'm good, don't worry, Fang, I don't mind that you're up here, it's not like you two are going out or anything so it doesn't bother me" I felt Fang tense up, _crap, ma. Did you really have to say that? awkward_. "But I just wanted to let you know that there's a new family moving in next to Iggy tomorrow, they have a daughter the same age as Nudge, I think. G'night kids." She shut the door and I turned to Fang.

"what's wrong, Fang?"

"it's nothing, Max, don't worry about it."

"come on Fang, I'm your best friend, we talk about everything. You can tell me anything, Fang."

"Not about this."

"Talked to Shade about it?" he nodded. "and?"

"He laughed in my face, patted me on the back, and said, 'better luck next time, li'l bro."

"Really?" I asked, shocked, turning to Fang. He nodded again. "Fang, please tell me. I'm your best friend, have been for as long as I can remember, please, it's why I'm here, Fang, you can tell me."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it, Max."

"Fine. But I'll get it out of you eventually."

"I promise I'll tell you some other time, just not today"

I raised a challenging eye brow at him. "pinky promise?"

He smiled-his real, true, heart stopping, Fang smile- and stuck his pinky out to meet mine, "pinky promise."

After that, we talked for hours, like we always had, everything was back to normal.  
Or, normal for us, at least.


	3. PillowNoFangWHAT?

**Remember, they're not OOC, they're half-asleep..(or so it seems...)**

BroCode Ch.3

I was shaken awake from the most comfortable sleep I'd had in a long time by a small hand on my shoulder. I groaned and buried my head deeper into my pillow until I heard light laughter. I turned toward it to be greeted by my mom's laughing eyes.

"Hey Max, it's 4:30. You need to wake Fang up so he can go home so he doesn't get in trouble if his parents wake up and he's not there." She whispered, laughter evident in her voice.

"Ok mom, just gimme a minute. Wait..Fang? What're you talking about, mom?"

"You'll figure it out Max, just don't go back to sleep sweetheart."

"Mmkay Ma" She shut the door behind her, leaving me more confused than I'd been in my whole life. A chilly summer breeze blew in through my window and a hugged my pillow closer to me. I was almost asleep when my pillow tightened around me. _What the.._oohhh…_that's _what Mom was talking about. I looked up at Fang's sleeping face and couldn't help but notice how peaceful and happy he looked. My body overpowered my groggy and I reached my head up and kissed the point where his jaw and neck met on his right side. His arms tightened around me and my heart sped up as he snuggled his nose into my hair.

I leaned my head up and whispered into his ear, "Fang, Fang, Mr. TallDarkandIrresistible, Best Friend, Fang, Faaaaaaangggg." I kept whispering but he refused to wake up so I did the first thing my still-mostly-sleeping mind could think of. I let go of his shirt, slipping my hand free from his arms, and lifted it to his cheek. "Faaaaaaaaannngggg, don't make me hurt you.." I moaned. When he didn't respond, I pulled my hand away and slapped him. Straight across the face. (lightly of course, I'm not _that_ mean.) My only response was Fang shifting closer to me, his face burrowing into my hair.

I snuggled into his neck, nearly falling asleep again, my mind made me give Fang one last try. Forcing myself to lean my mouth up to his ear, I whispered to him again. "Fang, Prince Charming, -Dark-and-Handsome, Fang, wake up, Fang, Waaaaaaaake up, Fang. Dork, you're the lightest sleeper ever, there's no way you're still asleep right now, waaaake uuuuuup, Fang."

"nnnnnnnfyymrmnts"

"no, Fang, wake up right now! We fell asleep, you're dad's waking up for work in twenty minutes, he's gonna notice you're not home, wake up!"

You know what he does? Rolls over. On top of me.

His legs were trapping mine and his arms held mine at my sides. "what've you been eating, Fang? Rocks?"

"Max,"

"Yes, Fang?"

"shut up."

"Jared Franklin Samuels. Wake. The. Flip. Up!"

"You did NOT just call me my full name, Maximum." He pulled his head back, glaring at me through half open eyes.

"What if I did? What're you gonna do 'bout it?" I looked him right in the eye, quirking an eyebrow at him, challenging him.

"This."

I didn't even have a chance to ask before his head dipped down to mine and our lips connected.

What surprised me? I kissed him back.

What surprised me more? I like kissing Fang. A lot. More than Shade even.

What surprised me most? I never wanted him to stop.

And my life wasn't screwed up enough already.

After a few moments of innocent, bittersweet kissing, Fang let go of my arms to prop his weight off of me as mine slid into his hair. His legs moved to the outsides of mine, and at that moment , the sweet, innocent kisses we were sharing became more. Meant more. He tilted his head one way, I tilted mine the other, and one of his arms slid into my hair pulling me closer. My hands found their way down his chest around to his back where they slid over his tensed muscles.

A few minutes later, Fang pulled his lips away and leaned his forehead on mine. We were both breathing raggedly. My thoughts were jumbled and all I could think was _Fang_.

"I should probably go. Like you said, someone'll notice if I'm not home at five a.m. in the summer." He whispered, not wanting my mom to come back in and find us both breathing hard, holding each other so closely.

But when Fang pulled away, my arms pulled him back. He smirked and whispered with a smile in his voice, "You said it yourself, Max, I need to get home." The fog was clearing from my mind and I let him go, standing up alongside him. "G'morning Maxy" he whispered, contentedly, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I stretched to wrap mine around his neck. "G'morning Fang."

And he was gone, as silently as he'd come the night before.

Leaning against the wall beside the window, I sunk to the floor as I realized what just happened.

_I just kissed my best friend._

Oh, but that's not even the bad part.

_I just kissed my boyfriend's twin brother._

_Fan-freaking-tastic._


	4. It's Always Iggy

My sister stole the laptop..I meant to have this up last friday but anyways, here it is! (And I'm sorry to tell you this, but this chapter is kind of a filler..don't skip it though! there're some reeeeeally-pretty important conversations!)

BroCode Chapter 4-

"C'mon Max! We gotta go help the new family move in." My Mom, too perky for nine in the morning, said as she eyed my slumped form at the counter, leaning over the sink to ruffle my hair.

"But I'm SO. TIRED." I grumbled, my face I my hands.

"I wouldn't think so with how cozy you were looking this morning when I came in. I'd think you'd be more..well rested..." She teased.

I have a cruel, cruel mother.

"ungh. Shut up mom."

"Now, I need you to answer me with complete honesty, Max."

"Sure Ma" I mumbled through my hand, propping my head up.

She stood there, eyes closed, thinking something over in her head for a few minutes until she spoke. "Um...Max, uh..." oh geez. "Uh, well, Max, nothing... nothing _happened _between the two of you last night, right?" She looked at me, uncomfortable.

"MOM!"

"I'm sorry, Max, but it's just..the way you two are with each other, you just –"

"Mom, he's my _best friend._ He doesn't think of me like that." _No matter how much I find myself wishing he did._

"Not to mention, there's Shade." _Holy chheeesecake. I forgot about my boyfriend. _"There _is _still Shade, right?"

"Yes, Mom, there's still Shade." She watched me quietly, handing me a bowl of Lucky Charms.

"Question is, Max, do you still want there to be a Shade?"

"Pfft. Of course I do.I mean, I _think _I do. I mean, this whole time I've been really happy whenever he's around and he's a great guy and I just, I mean, I.." I rambled, confused, staring into my cereal. I'd never felt so lost.

"But do you feel different with Fang?"

"I mean, with Shade I feel happy. Like there's nothing better to do than just be with him. He's great and I care about him.."

"But with Fang?" She questioned, quirking an eyebrow at me.

I sat there, my mind racing. "But with Fang.." I started, a light smile spread across my face unconsciously. "with Fang I feel like there's nothing but us when we talk. He's my best friend. I can tell him anything. He can tell me anything. Anything but..." I paused remembering last night when Fang wouldn't tell me what was bothering him.

"Anything but what, Hun?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing, forget I mentioned it." I brushed it off, smiling lightly at my mother.

She gave me her _I-know-you're-not-telling-me-something-but-i'll-let-it-go-for-now _face before her expression changed back to her energetic self. "Whatever you say, sweetie. Now eat your cereal before it gets soggy, we've got things to do!"

"Yeah, yeah" I mumbled, smiling, as I shoved a spoonful in my mouth.

* * *

_Here we go.._ I thought to myself as my mom knocked on the door of the new neighbor's house. The door opened near-instantly with a girl looking to be the same age as Nudge. Her dark brown eyes barely showing through her shoulder length brown hair. Her Hispanic skin complimented in her blue tank top and white shorts.

"Hi! I'm Elena Martinez. Come in! I'll get my—"

"Ella who is it?" A woman, obviously Elena's mother, asked as she walked up behind her.

"Val?" my mom asked, shocked.

"Oh my word, Sar?"

Elena giggled, watching the two women smiling and hugging each other in her doorway.

"Soooooo, I take it you two know each other?" I teased, my eyebrows raised.

"Oh! Yes! Max, this is Valencia Martinez, my best friend since grade school and her daughter Elena. Val, Elena, this is my daughter Max."

"Short for Maximum, I'm guessing? Sar always told me she'd name her first daughter, Maximum Ride." My mom's face dropped slightly.

"Well, my husband wouldn't stand to have his firstborn named something so 'childish' so he told me we'd name our second whatever I wanted." She said, letting Val lead us to the porch seats.

"Where is she? The other daughter?" Elena asked

"Oh, um, she..Uh.." my mom was at a loss for words as she looked down, her eyes watering.

"She was killed in a car accident when she was seven, twelve years ago. It's what caused the divorce and led us to move here" I slipped in, rubbing my mom's upper arm.

Val wrapped her arms around my mom and started, "We moved here after I got remarried. My husband died in a car accident too." She had tears falling down her cheeks.

"I was twelve. Broke my left arm. Dad was paranoid about the airbags and wouldn't let me in the front seat. It's a good thing too or I would've been killed, too. It was a head on." Ella added, looking up at me sadly.

Our sob session was interrupted by a loud, smoothtalking voice, "Heeeey ladies, how's it going?"

"Hey Ig, have you met your new neighbors?" I asked, my voice sounded the same as I felt-depressed from our conversation and yet, oddly excited at my new question.

"Well, I've met the woman and man of the house but I have yet to meet the young lady who sits before me." Iggy replied cheekily. Ella seemed mesmerized by his charm. Poor girl.

"Elena this is Iggy. Iggy, Elena." They stared at each other.

"Call me Ella, Elena sounds too….old, I guess"

"Ella, Iggy's blind. Not entirely, he can distinguish colors and basic shapes but he can't see small details or exact distances." Ella instantly looked amazed and Iggy looked sheepish.

"Way to blow it, Max. Thanks. Thanks a lot."

"Any time, Beanpole, any time."

* * *

"James Michael Dawson get _away_ from Max's cookies if you want to live." Gazzy mimicked the Terminator perfectly.

"aww maaan." Ig pouted

"Shut up _Swiper _and gimme my cookies!" I elbowed him away.

"nuh uh, Max! Not until the party!" always the Angel

"Have no fear, Sarah! The party _has arrived__." ah, _Nudge finally graced us with her presence.

"Nudge has made her entrance! Soooooooo gimme!"

"Shade, contain your woman!"

Shade just sat back, laughing his head off. "you're on your own, man."

"Fang?" he looked close to tears. _Drama queen.._

He leaned back against the counter smirking. "iPod, dude."

"_Bet ya wish you didn't blow his 4__th__ Gen up now, aren't ya Igster?" _I teased from his back and had him in a chokehold giving him a noogie.

"aww maaan!"

My mom shouted in from the back, "HEY! Lazy boneses! Get out here and help me with this, the party don't start til I say it does and at this rate, Ig'll be dead by then! Let's go people!"

Reluctantly, I let go of the gasping drama queen's neck and followed my happy, laughing friends outside, following my mom's voice only to be greeted by a helium tank and boxes.

_ooooohhhh boy..._


	5. Operation: Flock

Sorry it took so long! I got distracted with another story I've been working on. Sorry it's short but I'll do my absolute best to update again by Monday afternoon…

BroCode ch.5-

"Alright guys, we need a plan. Dylan's gonna be here tonight and we _have_ to keep him away from Max. No matter what it takes. The Beast. Stays. Away. From. The Beauty. Got it?" Nudge lectured us.

Shade, Fang, Ig, Nudge, Gaz, Angel, and I were inside getting the food ready as the party was getting started. "We _know, _Nudge. You've only told us a bazillion times in the past two seconds." Said Gazzy, exasperatedly.

"Nudge. What's your idea?" I asked, trying to keep from freaking out at the idea of what would happen if Dylan were to get to me tonight.

"Bodyguards." Gaz and Ig failed at muffling their laughter. "_No!_ I'm serious! There needs to be someone with Max at all times!"

"Bro?" Shade turned to Fang, receiving a nod. "Alright, Fang and I'll be by your side the whole night. You don't need to worry; we won't let you down, babe." Fang's face tightened as he turned away from his brother.

"Butweallneedcodenames!" Angel squealed

"Oooooooh! Yes! I'll be Diamond, Max can be topaz-cause it's her birthstone and it totally matches her eyes. And ooooooh! And Fang can be onyx 'cause that's the color of _his_ eyes and oh, I mean, don't you think his eyes are just sooooo gorgeous. And oh my goodness you so just heard me say th—"

"NUDGE! I love ya and all but you have _got_ to tone it down, girly." I breathed as Iggy slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Hey guys, I have an idea. You know how in The Princess Diaries, the second one, at the end when Mia's getting crowned as the queen, and they're named after birds." Angel started off.

"And they say 'the sparrow is taking off' and 'the eagle's flying for the last time' and stuff..."

"Dude. How in the world do you know that?" Ig asked Gazzy, shocked.

Gazzy just shook his head as, Nudge took over again. "YES!" she squealed, "OMG! That's _perfect_! Max you can be Sparrow since their wings totally match your hair, Ig you can be Phoenix cause of the fire and reddish hair, andandand Fang and Shade you can be Black Hawk One and Black Hawk Two"

"Dibs on one!" Shade jumped up, Fang grumbled and pouted on his corner by the stove, shoving a chip in his mouth.

"Guys! We can call it 'Operation: Flock' since we're all bird names!"

"That's great, Ig! I love it!" I laughed, hugging a smiling Angel. "Now let's move! We've got some partying to do!"


	6. What Is Going On?

_I cannot even start to tell you all how sorry I am that this took so long! It was NOT working out the way I had it planned in my head-I mean, I almost had Max leave them all for Dylan, that's how much of a writers-block I had! I'm reeeeeeallly so sorry this took so long and hope you haven't abandoned or hate this story! Here's the chapter we've all been waiting for!_

BroCode Ch.6-

"BlackHawk2 to Sparrow! BlackHawk2 to Sparrow! The coast is clear, repeat, the coast is clear!"

"Fang!" I hissed, he froze and arched an eyebrow at me. "Why are we hiding behind a bush of all places for hide-and-seek?"

"Umm…I'm..not really sure…why don't you tell me?" He winked and raised an eyebrow at me.

I shoved him into the bush by his shoulder, laughing. "Shut up, ya dork."

I didn't feel the blush until he made a kissy face at me, winking again, and said, "I know you want me, Maxy. You said it yourself, I _am _'Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Irresistible'." His smirk slipped through.

"You loser! You _were_ awake!"

"Well, sort of, only bits and pieces of it all."I stuck my tongue out at him only to have him mirror me. We both cracked up when we saw Ig's flustered face pop out over the banister.

"FOUND 'EM!" He yelled before jumping off the deck and crouching down to our level, whispering, "I want to ask, but I'll get punched by most likely both of you soooo I don't want to know."

I jumped up, offering a hand to Fang who smirked saying, "Smart boy." I laughed before punching him in the arm.

"_OOOooowwww!_" He howled as everyone came rushing over.

"The poor soul never had a chance. Oh, Ig, when will you ever learn?" Gazzy said, his voice sounding like a weak, old English professor. Our laughing was interrupted by the sudden end of the pop song in the background and the start of a slow song was heard.

"_Uuuugh. Slow songs." _I whined. I loathe slow songs. I even used a cool word to explain it, that's how much I don't like them!

I was interrupted from my pouting by Shade's hand slipping into mine, pulling me to the 'dance floor' in front of the DJ booth.

There were a minute or so of awkward silence before Shade spoke up, "So Max, I was thinking, we never really do anything with just the two of us and not everyone else from the 'flock' and I was wondering if maybe tomorrow night you'd want to go to TJ's party with me as, well, sort of a, um..date?"

I was surprised at the nervous look Shade had on his face—_this is sooo not like him-_and found it impossible to say no, "Of course, Shade. TJ Miller right?"

"Yeah, his sister should be there too so you'll know someone else there besides just me and TJ." His nervousness was gone, and so was the song. _Thank goodness._

"MAX! Your mom's trying not to smack some sense into the creep I can't believe she married and wants you there. Move it, girly!" Val hissed, pulling my arm.

Shade turned to walk with me when his little sister, Amelia, walked over and pulled him to the front of the dance floor. He shot me an apologetic look when she wasn't looking but she saw anyways and pulled him to face the other way. (You see, Amelia doesn't want me to be with Shade. She and Angel are like little interfering devils and make everything go 'the right way' when they're the only ones who understand the logic behind everything. Bambi eyes and all. You. Will. Lose. Because you. Are. Wrong.)

I felt an arm link through mine and turned from a now-smiling Amelia to the deep blue eyes of my best friend. "Ready to make Jeb even more of a loser?" He asked smiling, already pulling me to my doom. "Just remember what we practiced last night and you'll be golden." _Was that really only last night?_ "Let the Max charm shine." My only response was to pull his elbow closer to me so our sides were mashed together, my lips curling into an excited smile.

Fang chuckling, we made our way over to my mom's anxious face. To anyone else she looked like the happy hostess but if you looked closer you could see how her body leaned away from the conversation she was forced into and her knuckles turning white from how tight her fists were clenched.

The party was in full swing and Jeb looked-dare I say it-_perky_. I was thinking of the lies I could say to get away but once we got to the group, I thought seeing Dylan cringing back under Fang's gaze behind me and Jeb, the Gutless Wonder, terrified into silence by Mom completely hilarious.

"So Maximum, have you reconsidered our offer?" Helen-(no. darn it. What's her name?)

I looked at her like she was the stupidest person to ever walk the planet. Not kidding. My eye was twitching.

"Use your words, Hun, make me proud." Mom whispered into my hair from beside me. I smirked and felt Fang's hand slip into mine behind my back. We'd planned what I'd say if I ever got the chance when he climbed through my window last night. (_Whoa, was that really only last night?)_

I smiled my overly-happy smile, "Oh of _course _I have! How could I not? I mean, look at your son, he's just too _adorable._" I started out, my mental ditzy-perky meter near overflowing. "I mean, _come on, _I'd be _so _willing to leave my _home, _my _family, _my _boyfriend, _my _best friend, _and _everyone else I care about _to go be your little lab rat. How could I say no? Dylikins is just too darn cute!" I finished, pinching his clueless smiling cheek with my free hand.

My mom was coughing to hide her laughter as Whatsherface spoke, "Really?" she squealed, "Oh that's just _wonderful!_" Jeb's scowl became even more prominent as my smirk grew. "Did you hear that Dyli? Max said yes, I'm going to be a grammy soon!" She was smiling widely.

"Did ya hear that, _Dyli_? You get me for_ever!_ Even better, you get me when I'm _pregnant!" _I smirked right at Jeb for his benefit. "It'll be worth it though, we'll have the most perfect family and everything in the world will be rainbows and butterflies." I would throw up right now but the confused, scared look on Dylan's face as he saw the tears building up in my eyes was priceless.

His mother's squeal grew louder. "Just call me Grammy Batchelder!"

"Evangelique, please, calm down, we're in public." Jeb asked, false-sweetness lacing his voice. His facial expression was the complete opposite. Sheer anger. All aimed at me.

I couldn't hold it in any longer, I was on the ground laughing within seconds, Fang doubled over above me, both of us laughing hysterically.

I looked up to see Dylan's Mom looking down at me with a confused look on her face. "You _honestly_ believed that _Max _would leave _everything_ she has-every_one_ she has—to go have _your _grandchildren with _him?" _Fang asked laughing lightly yet managing to make his voice the darkest I've ever heard from him.

Fang helped me up one my laughing had slowed and I linked arms with him. Pointing at my best friend, I looked Jeb square in the eye, "What he said." And we walked away smiling.

* * *

"ha_ha_! The great Ignialator is once again _the _Ninja champion!_"_

"Oh shut up, dummy. Sarah put out the marshmallows, let's go get a-roastin and a-toastin!" Nudge laughed.

"Or in _my _case, a-lightin!"

"And a-frightin." Fang muttered, making Shade laugh.

* * *

_**Meanwhile by the DJ booth**_

"'ey! Max, get _away_ from the cookies!" Val laughed at Mom scolding me for taking yet another cookie. She simply waited for her to turn her back before slipping me another behind her back.

"Oh rats, we need more lemonade. Max, would you mind? We really need more to keep the little munchkins from crashing on the lawn." She asked, winking at me.

"Anything for you, Ma." I replied, bowing at her before picking up the cooler and walking to the house.

I was emptying the last bottle when a voice behind me made me jump, "That's cheating you know."

I turned around quickly, the bottle behind my back. "Yes. We're using bottled lemonade. Problem, Dylan?"

He'd come closer, his chest within an arm's length. "Oh come on Maxy, you know you want me. Don't be so stubborn. You want this. You want me. Just admit it." He was barely an inch away now, his arms locking me to him. "Admit it, Maxy." He pushed his lips onto mine and gripped my waist. I tried to push him away, hitting him in every possible way I could but he'd only kiss me harder.

I pulled my head back and hit him in the chin with the heel of my hand but he only gripped my shoulders tightly and held me at an arm's length. "You are coming with me. I don't care _what _you want. You belong to me. We're meant for each other. You are _mine."_

I punched him in the stomach with everything fueling me. Everything inside of me, built up over years and years, taken out on Dylan in that one moment.

He fell back, hitting his head on the fridge handle. "You bi-"

I pulled his head up by his hair, "You finish that word in my house and so help me, you will not be capable of having children with _anyone_. _**Never **_speak to me _ever _again." I finished dropping his head from my hand and stepped over him, running outside.

* * *

I ran out to the swing and bumped into Fang.

"You disappeared and I asked your mom where you went and she said you went in to get lemonade a long time ago and I got nervous that he found you and I just—" He cupped my head in his hand and rubbed his thumb against my cheek. "Max.."

I didn't trust my voice but I managed a whisper, "Dylan." Fang pulled my in to him, his arms making the world disappear until there was only me and Fang. I wrapped my arms around his waist as one of his hands stroked my hair, the other wrapped around me. It only took a few minutes but in the quiet corner of the porch, hidden by the tree Fang had hidden in so many times before, no one came. No one interrupted. It was just Fang and Max in our own little world, the way it always was when Fang was with me.

"Max, what happened in there?" He asked looking me straight in the eye, his face showing his complete concern for me.

"I was just filling up the cooler with lemonade like we always to for parties and he came in saying something about cheating because it wasn't real and pushed me up against the counter saying stuff like we're made for each other and I'm his and then he…he….he kissed me, Fang. He kissed me and I couldn't get away." He was wiping the tears from my face again, getting angrier with every word. "I punched him though, square in the jaw. It killed my hand but it was worth it. He kept trying to say I was his so I punched him in the stomach. He flew into the fridge handle, smacked his head. Serves him right, the creep. I pulled him by the hair, told him a few things to keep him away for as long as I can help it, and now here I am."

"Let me see your hand." He spoke barely above a whisper, his anger seeping through every word. I lifted my hand up, offering it to him. He took it without a word, brushing the bruise forming by thumb with feather-light strokes before holding it with both of his hands. Looking my back in the eyes, he spoke gruffly, "I'll kill him."

I wrapped my other hand around his, "Just stay with me, Fang. I don't want to be alone right now. Please."

He pulled me in for another hug, this one different from the many others we've shared. This hug felt exactly like the one before the sunrise of this morning.

We were interrupted by Shade's wavering, angry voice. "Max? What's going on here?"

I pulled back from Fang to look at my boyfriend. "Dylan found me in the kitchen. He kissed me." My voice was already shaking. _Suck it up, Max, you're stronger than this. _"I punched him and ran out here. I found Fang out here and he made me feel safe."

"That's not what it looks like from here, Max. I'm your boyfriend. If you want someone to comfort you, you can find me. _I'm _your boyfriend." He said with a pointed look at Fang. "It's my right to be with you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Sibling rivalry over me now? _What _is going on? "Fang's my best friend. He has that right, too, Shade. What does it matter anyways? Dylan's the one to be worried about right now. I'm fine. That's what matters, right?"

They were glaring at each other, one chest pressed up against each of my hands. I pushed both of them, snapping them out of whatever battle they were having and spoke, "Whatever you guys aren't telling me, figure it out some other time. Let's go keep White Dove and Gold Macaw from Disneying the music, mmkay?" They didn't blink. "Ok, seriously? Both of you, go." I pushed and pulled them toward the stairs, keeping them at a distance from each other. I started down the stairs as a slow song came on. "Go. Shoo, Fly, be free." I scolded, waving my hands toward the DJ booth before turning around and walking away.

Sam asked me to dance then, pulling me over toward the other couples. We danced past the lovesick-puppy-seeming pair of Iggy and Ella who hadn't left each other's sides since we started setting up, a shy Gazzy and Amelia, Shade and Angel-who'd dragged him away from Fang who was now talking to Nudge by the cookies. The dance ended as fast as it started and my mom came out to say her speech that had become tradition for our yearly party.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming. I'm so glad we had such a great turnout this ye—" blah, blah, blah, etc., etc.

At this point we all knew there was only one dance left and the only couples dancing were the Flock. Ig and Ella were-once again-dancing together, Nudge was swaying with Shade, smiling and laughing, and Sam was dancing sweetly with Angel. Jeb and his-**shudder**-family were attempting to get Gazzy and Ari to separate so they could leave (unsuccessfully, might I add. Ha. Ha. Jeb.) I noticed that Dylan's chin was a little swollen…_sucker._

I was broken from my space-case moment by Fang's hand slipping into mine as he asked me to dance. I accepted of course and he led me to the main dance floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I slipped mine around his neck. We started rocking back and forth to the music, our breath syncing up to each others. The world melted away like it always does and I realized how different it felt to dance with Fang than Shade. I felt like we didn't have to say anything, everything was _felt_ as if we knew what the other was thinking without a word. His fingers were linked behind my back, his thumbs rubbing against my tensed back. I was still frazzled from everything with Dylan and he knew just what to do to get me to relax. Just being with him made me calm.

The song ended too soon, it felt like, and Fang hugged me and said the usual "thanks for the dance." And it was off to clean up.

* * *

I was unraveling the Christmas lights from the deck railing when Fang and Shade came up to hug me and tell me they were leaving. I said goodnight and Shade pecked me on the cheek before they left. As they were leaving, I noticed that everyone else was too, only Nudge, Ella, Ig and Val were left quietly talking as my mom paid the DJ.

Iggy walked up to me soon after. "Max? Shade and Fang seemed a little…on edge after Dylan attacked you. Did something happen that they're not telling us?"

"Well, after I ran out of the house I was planning on sitting on the porch swing until I calmed down but Fang was there and I broke down. He was hugging me while I was trying to stop crying and Shade came over and got angry. His voice was shaking and he seemed so…defeated…I told him Fang had the right to be with me as much as he does and they just glared at each other for_ever._ I had to physically push them to get them to do anything but glare at each other. Ig, what's happening? I feel like no one's telling me the full story."

"Max, you know I'm like your big brother and I hate seeing you like this over a guy but it's just, Shade's my best friend and it's…not my place to tell. I just have one question for you though, could you try to answer it?" I nodded. He took a slow breath and, his eyebrows creasing, he asked, "Do you care about Shade like you care about Fang?"

I turned to him, my brow arched. "I don't completely understand the question, Ig."

He hugged me, "Think about it, Max. You will soon. G'night Maxie-pie." And the sweet, intuitive Iggy has _left _the building, folks. It was nice while it lasted…but _what the heck did he mean? "Do you care about Shade like you care about Fang?"? What? And all that "you will soon."? What in the world?_

I walked over to Nudge and Ella talking to Val and my mom. Ella turned to me instantly, "Soooo..Max, what's the deal with you and the twins?" She asked, her mouth turned into a curious smirk.

"Long story…" I mumbled.

"Try us." Nudge added.

"One problem."

"and that is?" Val questioned.

"_I'm _not even sure what the deal is."

"These two are having a sleepover at our house if you want to come, your mom's coming for a little while too." Val said, motioning to Ella and Nudge.

"No thanks, I think I'm going to shower. Think about everything."

"Alright, Honey. Go ponder. Don't think too hard though, get some sleep too." My mom said, hugging me to her side and pecking me on the head.

"Alright, love you." I spoke over my shoulder, heading into the house.

My phone vibrated as I locked the door and rushed through the kitchen, memories of Dylan still fresh in my mind. The little white box read _One New Message From: Fang_

**I need to talk to you, can I stop by tonight? **

_**I'm really tired, sorry, how about tomorrow?**_

**Sure. Sweet dreams Max. **

_**Goodnight Fang :) **_

I grabbed my PJ's and headed for the bathroom as Iggy's question came to mind.

_Do I care about Shade like I care about Fang?_

More importantly, _how exactly do I care about Fang?_

This is going to be a looooonng night.


	7. Smartest Thing

_Oh my goodness, I don't blame you if you hate me, my updates are so inconsistent right now. Good news: I have the next chapter written already so it should be up MUCH sooner than this was. The beginning of the end starts now so prepare to be surprised!_

___BroCode Ch.7-Smartest Thing You've Said_

_knock knock_

"I'll get it!" Sarah called as she walked to the red door. "Oh hello, Shade. How are you?"

"I'm doing great, thanks. How are you?"

"A little baffled. Everything that's happened this week is insane!" She spoke with a breathy laugh. I decided now would be the best time to save her from more 'mom-talk' so I walked down the stairs.

"Hey Hun, I'm going over to Val's so if I'm not here when you get back come find me, mmkay?"  
I nod and Shade leads me out to his car.

His hand's in mine as he asks, "You ok, Babe? you seem tired."

"Yeah, I'm great. I was a bit of an insomniac last night. My brain was still wired from the party."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Nah, I've got it figured out now."

"Alright, Babe."

He didn't notice the slight tightening of my jaw as he shut the door, the lack of change in his face proved that. Now you're probably wondering 'What! the twin of the emotionless rock shows emotion in his face?' my answer, yes. yes he does.

"Are you ready to party, Date?" I asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Always am." He smiles and weaves his fingers through mine before turning onto the road.  
_

"There you are, Man. comes on, we've got Mike's uncle's table downstairs. Let's go!" TJ starts to pull Shade away. He looks to me with pleading in his eyes. _He's really asking for permission? How…not like him.._

I laugh at the Bambi Eyes he's giving me before nodding to the guys waiting at the top of the basement stairs. "Go." I smiled as his friends pulled him to their pool tournament.

I turn to my left when I hear a sigh and see Missy smothering a giggle. "Max, you are _so_ lucky."

"Yeah? What d'you mean?"

"She looked down at her shoes. "Promise you won't be mad..." She said quietly before looking up at me through her eyelashes.

"Cross my heart, hope to die."

"Stick a needle in your eye?"

I nod "We were disturbed ten year olds..." I laughed at the memory of our old 'oath'.

"It's about Shade.."

I was definitely interested as she became more and more shy. Missy is _never_ shy. "Go on."

"He's just...amazing..and guess he _had_ to get a girlfriend because TJ's an idiot, but I'm glad it's you and not some...you know.."

"And not some Brigid?"

We both laugh at the memory of TJ's failed first relationship as she nods and starts pulling me to the stairs. We walk down and sit on the lower landing where we can see the boys pushing and shoving each other as they joke around.

"So you like Shade, huh?"

"You aren't mad, are you?" She asks, clasping and unclasping her hands.

"Not at all!" I rush, turning to her, smiling lightly at her nervousness. "You've known him longer than I have and he and Fang are great guys."

"Not to mention _extremely _good looking."

I burst out laughing at the bluntness that originally brought Missy and I together so long ago. "and _that, _my friend, is the smartest thing I think you've ever said."

She pouts at me but winds up laughing again. "I'd be offended, but you just said I'm right so I don't care."

"So why haven't you asked Fang on a date or something?"

"He's _suuuper _quiet. As in, he never talks to anyone. Ever."

"I've never noticed..."

"That's because he's always talked to you. Ever since the day ___after _you moved in since the day you moved in he and Shade were fighting and he doesn't talk when he's angry with Shade. Or anyone else for that matter."

_He does to his best friend..._

"Sorry, Liss, I never meant to steal him."

"It's all good, I've never seen him smile so much in my life as he does with you. Besides-and don't be upset or anything-but Shade's always been my favorite."

"Are you saying you like my boyfriend?"

"If I was, would you be mad?" She asked, her forehead creasing in nervousness.

"hahah, no. Shade's a great guy, I'd understand." I said, smiling at my only nearly-lifelong girl friend.

"Then yes, I guess I _am _saying I like your boyfriend..a lot..." Her face grew redder and redder with every word.

"Girrrl, you got it _bad _don't you?" I teased, laughing lightly.

She squealed and hit my arm (and yes, it actually hurt, thanks for asking). "Shut _up!"_ but her laughter joining mine ruined the whole effect.

___A mental picture of Missy and Shade on a date, sitting with their arms around each other, Shades lips pressed in her hair comes to mind. There's a couple across from them holding hands, the girl leaning into Fang's shoulder and his eyes on her smiling face. My face._

"You two'd be cute together." I say suddenly, the mental picture leaving me thoughtless for longer than I realized.

Missy turned to me, shocked for a moment before smiling. "and _that _is the smartest thing _you_'ve ever said."

We both laughed before she turned to me again, insecurity leaking her voice, "You really think so, Max?" I nod. "But then I'd feel bad! I'd be a man stealer!"

I leaned against the wall behind me before turning my head to her. "If I tell you, do you swear on penalty of death by Barbies, that you won't tell _anyone _what I'm about to tell you. _Especially _TJ?"

"Oh my goodness, Max, what's going on?" genuine concern shone on her face

"well...I don't really know what to do..."

"Who's this about?"

I paused, gnawing my lip. "Fang..."

She looked like a fish out of water, her eyes the size of dinner plates. "What happened? Did he kiss you? Did you kiss him? Are you guys secretly dating behind Shade's back?" She asked, the same excited expression she has during chick flicks clear as day on her face.

"Well...A few days ago Fang came in through my window-like he always has, you remember that, right?" She nods, her eyes glistening in pure attention. "Well my mom came in, was totally cool with it, but she said something about how she's ok with it because he's not my boyfriend and he completely closed off.. It took a little effort but I got him talking to me again and it was like we were back in junior high when there weren't any boyfriends or girlfriends. We fell asleep talking and in the morning my mom came in before work and told me to wake him up...it worked..."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I was half asleep too—I'm _not _a morning person—" she scoffed. "and I tried to shake him away but he wouldn't budge and I called him by his full name and-" I paused at the memory of the earliest streams of light glowing over him as he held himself above me that morning, his smirk..oh don't get me started.

"Well?" Missy said anxiously, her voice breaking me from my thoughts.

"Well what?"

"What happened after you did the stupidest thing you can ever do to either of the twins?"

"What do you _think _happened?" I looked at her knowing she already knew the answer to the question.

"I want details. What _exactly _happened next?"

"Umm.." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "He rolled over onto me, propped his arms up, and kissed me."

She squealed. The guys looked over at us, Shade tipping me his boy-next-door smile, before dismissing us again for their pool game.

Missy sighed, smiling and looked to me. "Max you are so stupid."

"You think I don't know that?" I laughed weakly. "I care about Shade and all but I…"

"You just care about Fang more."

"How can you sound so sure when you say that? _I _can't even admit it to myself half the time."

"But it's that other half of the time that proves I'm right."

"Oh hush, _Lissa_."

"Anything for you, _Axy_." She smirked before we both broke into laughter again.

"We were _such _weird ten year olds." I laughed, pulling Missy to her feet. Just then the guys finished up and joined us.

"How're you _fine _ladies doing tonight?"

"Shove it, Conner." Tyler said as TJ slapped Conner up the side of the head. I grinned at the scene as Shade wrapped a possessive arm around my waist and led me up the stairs, the rest of the chuckling group following behind.

I jerked upright when I felt a hand on my arm. "Come on Sleepyhead, let's get you home."

"I fell asleep?"

"That you did." Shade said, his lips curling up as he looked down at me

I lifted my arms in the air, "Carry me."

Shade laughed. "Are you sure you're awake?"

"Nope. But as my date, you have to help me up." I joked.

"Well I guess I can do that." He leaned down and wrapped an arm around my waist before lifting me out from the corner of the couch.

"See ya, guys" I threw over my shoulder.

"Bye Max, See ya Shade" They all echoed as Shade led me out to his car.

The ride home was filled with sounds of the latest music floating through the speakers on low volume until Shade decided to break the quiet.

"You and Missy looked like you were having fun earlier." He spoke, smile evident in his voice.

"Yeah. We haven't had time to talk as just me and her in a loooong time." Smile crept into my voice the longer I went on.

His grin grew. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Con-fi-den-chi-al." I bobbled my head with each syllable, a light giggle slipping out at the end.

"That good, huh? Was it about me?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Hmph. You're no fun."

We laughed and joked the rest of the way home, the fun night coming to an end. One question kept coming to mind, no matter how much fun I was having with Shade…

_Why do I keep wishing I was with Fang instead?_

Oh forget it. I already know the answer to that. Dumb attractive twins messing everything up.


	8. Pretty Little Head

Sorry guys, I can never find the time (or attention span) to type the chapters but I'm really going to try my hardest to get the chapters updated more often!

**BroCode ch.8**

"They consider themselves missionaries."

I'd been dragged out of my house by Nudge and Ella to talk about my date and me, with my sorry attempt at changing the subject, asked Nudge where her parents were as we walked up the porch stairs.

"Why?" Ella asked, her face blank with innocence

"Well, there were complications after I was born and, since they couldn't have their own children, they started adopting. They want more so now they consider it their 'mission' to 'save the lives of children around the world.'" Nudge said, putting air quotes with her fingers, "Right now my mom's off getting vaccinated so she can go to Ecuador or something with my dad next month."

"And that doesn't bother you? Them leaving to go find kids you don't know?"

"Pfffffffffft! Of course not, I mean—look at it this way, last time they brought kids home I got Angel and Gazzy as my li'l siblings. You can't get more perfect than them and my mom's great at picking kids I get along with." Nudge finished, grinning.

"Wow." Ella breathed.

"It's crazy stuff, huh?" I ask, popping a chip in my mouth and sliding onto the counter.

Ella, still seeming a little bit dazed, nodded. Then everything took a turn for the unwanted…or in my opinion at least…

Nudge leaned back in her crook of the counter and gave Ella the look that says 'It's go time' or, for me, 'It's time for Max's dooooom muahahhahaha'

…maybe I was overreacting a little bit but…

Ella spun on her stool to face me, her and Nudge's eyes locking onto me like a designer top on black Friday and asked, a smirk leaking into her mask of innocence, "So, Max, tell us. What's it like having twin brothers fighting over you?"

I arched my eyebrows at them, genuinely confused, "What?" _Boy have they got it backwards.._

"Oh please, Max, don't tell me you don't know what's going on." Nudge pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at me.

"I…Wait..Is that why Shade's been so rude to Fang these past few weeks?"

"Uh…**Earth to Max!** What do you _think _they were fighting over? Who was gonna have to tell Gaz that Amelia's got a little crush? WAKE UP! They're fighting for you!"

"But why would they fight over _me?_ Fang's my best friend and Shade's my boyfr—"

"Hey Ella" Nudge cut me off, pretending like I wasn't there.

"Yeah Nudge?"

"Did you notice what I think you just noticed that I noticed, too?"

"Why yes, Nudge. Yes I did."

"What are you two _talking about!"_ I asked, questioning my own sanity for even trying to keep up with their conversation.

"Um, Max, have you ever noticed that you always say Fang before Shade?"

"Last the best of all the game?"

"Boyfriends come first." Ella said, tilting her head to the side.

"Alphabetical order?"

Nudge shook her head at me, a little smile crossing her lips, while Ella giggled.

"Fang's my best friend, though. I honestly don't understand why everyone keeps telling me stuff like this!"

"Who else's said stuff, Max?" Nudge asked, traces of her 'duh, you're such an idiot' tracing her words.

"My mom."

"And _why _does she think that?"

"Reasons." I mumbled.

"Such as-" She asked, moving her arms in hopes that I'd finish her sentence.

"I'd….rather not say."

"Oh please, Max. It can't be _that _bad! Besides, it's not like you guys have kissed in like—what's it been?—7 years. I mean, _come. On._ You and Shade are way perfect!" Confusion crinkling her eyebrows, "But Shade and Fang are twins so they look the same" I snort, receiving a look from Ella "and so it really doesn't matter which one and thinking about the party: You and Shade dancing was all cute and couplish but when Fang whisked you away to the dance floor and you swayed in each other's arms under the stars, Oh! And the way you two were looking so cute together and he looked at you like my dad was looking at my mom in all their wedding pictures. Oh, Max, it was just so presh and-" Nudge's ranting was stopped by Ella diving over the island in the kitchen and slapping her hand over Nudge's mouth since I was too stunned by her rambling to move.

_Well if you put it that way, Nudge, it's a freaking romance novel….geez, wedding pictures? Really Nudge!_

"Max, you look dazed…what aren't you telling us?" Ella said, her hands pulling my face to look her in the eyes,

"I don't _know!"_

"You honestly expect us to believe that?"

"How can I explain something that _I _don't even understand?" I looked at them dumbly.

"Aw, Maxy." Ella breathed, her and Nudge hopping up on the counter next to me, hugging my sides, "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"I'll let you know when I do."

They hopped down, Nudge muttering something I didn't think I'd want to understand. Just then my phone started vibrating in my pocket.

1 New Message: Momma

_You've been gone an hour and I figure N&E are interrogating you. Here's an excuse to freedom, just don't blame me if this results in being duct taped to a chair._

Laughing, I turned to the girls. "Gotta go, girls. Momma texts."

"We _will _talk about this later, Maximum." Ella hollered as I slipped my feet into my shoes.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight. Bye!" I said and ran out the door.

I decided to take the long way home—AKA, walking around the practically the whole neighborhood—and stopped at the park when I saw the swings.

_Creak. Clink. Creak. Clink. _The chains squeaked quietly as I swung. I felt rain drops on my hands and saw the splatters across my jeans so I closed my eyes. I sat there, hardly moving forward and back in the slowly-becoming-more-than-a- drizzle rain fall, with my eyes closed for what felt like seconds but was at least 5 minutes before I felt two hands on my back. There's only one person as crazy as me who'd be out in a storm like this.

_Fang._

The rain started getting thicker, the drops heavier and more frequent and I just sat on the swing, my best friend behind me. He stopped pushing and slowed me down until I stood up, facing him. My teeth were chattering, my hair was dripping, and my baggy long sleeved shirt was clinging to me but I still smiled when I saw his face. Smiling his full smile he pulled me to the tube in the playground, shaking his head the whole way.

We slid into the red tube, finally covered from the rain, and I just simply smiled. We were on opposite walls of the tube so we'd face each other but I started getting chills from my drenched clothes. Fang, after seeing me shiver, pulled me into his side and wrapped his arms around me, instantly sharing his warmth and blocking me from the light current breezing through the tube.

My head on his shoulder, I started falling asleep to the rhythm of Fang's breathing and the barrier the rain made from the world.

_"Do you care about Shade like you care about Fang?" A voice, Iggy's I think, whispered to my thoughts._

"_..he's my best friend. He doesn't think of me like that." I remembered as the conversation I'd had with my mom days ago came to mind._

_"He laughed in my face, patted me on the back, and said, 'better luck next time, li'l bro." Fang's voice floated through my head._

"Fang?" I whispered

"Yeah Max?" He asked, just as quietly, leaning his head off mine to look at me.

I took a deep breath, "I don't really know how to say this heh…nevermind.."

"C'mon Maxy, tell me." I shook my head. "Please?" I shook my head again. "Maxy, please try. For me." _Oh boy, imma gonner.._

I took another deep breath, "Fang, have you ever just…not really been sure about something that you can't tell what you really want and what you're supposed to want?"

He tightened his arms, snuggling me into his side more. "Keep going."

"And..well…no matter what everyone expects of you…you know what you want but you can't do anything about it?" Thunder rolled across the sky and I shivered again.

Fang starts rubbing my arm. "What're you gonna do, Max?"

"It'd really help if I knew what was going on. What would you do, Fang?"

"Well it depends on what's going on in that pretty little head of yours."

"I can't tell you that."

"Hmm…let's see then..if I was fighting with my parents, I'd talk to you. If I was fighting with my siblings, I'd talk to you. If I was thinking about someone more than usual, I'd talk to you. If I was keeping a secret, I'd talk to y—"

I looked up at him with narrowed eyes and my eyebrow arched. "Is this a guilt trip?"

"Is it working?" Fang asked, his full smile spreading across his face again.

My response was my head falling back into the crook of his neck and a muffled, "Maybe."

"Do I have to bring out the big guns, Max?"

My head pops up so fast I'm nearly dizzy. "If you tickle me, I swear…" but I trail off as I see the bambi eyes. _Dang, he's too good at those…_

"Faaaaaaaaaaang, I'm serious!" I whined, laughing with him.

"So am I!" He's returned with a skeptical look, "Max, like you said when I _went to talk to you_ 3 nights ago. _I'm your best friend, Max. _You can tell me anything."

I shake my head, smiling lightly. "You have the gift of guilting people, Fang." He chuckled as I leaned my head onto his shoulder. "It's Shade."

His arms constricted the slightest bit around me, flexing with the movement before he asked, "What about my dearest brother?"

"I just….I don't…He just….And Lissa…I'm just.."

"Whoa there, Maxy. You can tell me, just slow down a little."

"Uh…last night, on our date, he got dragged away by the guys and Missy and I were talking and…she likes him, Fang. Like, _really_ likes him."

"Jealous, Max?"

"That's the thing though. I _wasn't _jealous. At all. In fact, I was thinking of ways that I could get them together. How much I _wanted _for them to be together."

"Well _that's_ not normal."

"I know! Fang, I don't feel anything…romantic toward him. I'm just always finding myself thinking about anything _but _him. Fang, I don't want to date him! I just want it to go back to how it used to be with him. Friends. No weirdness." Silence. "Wishful thinking, I know but….I don't like him, Fang, I like-" I shut my rambling off with my own hand.

A very interested Fang looks down at me, emotions swirling in his eyes. "You like who, Max?" I just pressed my lips together looking at his hair. "Why are you blushing, Maxy?" _ahhhhhhhhhhh noooo! _I bury my face into his drenched shirt. "Maaxy…Maaaaaaaaaxy…"

"drrtfng."

"What was that, Best Friend?"

I lifted my head up, looking him in the eyes-still blushing, might I add—and said, "Drop it, Fang."

"You asked for it." Before I could even think, he was tickling me. I was squirming and trying to get him to stop but he kept going. "Tell me, Maxy."

"Noooohahahahah"

"Tell me and I'll stop!"

"Neverahaha!"

He has my arms pinned, "Maaaaaaxxxyyyyy, ."

"Not worth it!"

"Don't make me whip out the bambi eyes again!" He threatened, tears slipping from my face I was laughing so hard.

"Fang! Stop it!" He pinned down my legs with his, his mouth by my ear, and I suddenly got a weird sense of déjà vu. _I've been like this before….and it ended with Fang kissing me…oh geez… _"Fang! Bambi eyes are cheating! Not fairhahah not fahahahahah" _His bambi eyes were, by far, the best he's_ _ever done—but that might be all the laughing talking_—I thought as his face got closer to mine, his eyelashes tickling my cheek.

His lips returned to my ear and he whispered, "Tell me Maxy."

"How 'bout we make a deal, hmm? If you guess it, I'll tell you."

"Fair enough, is it….Iggy?"

"Imma pretend you didn't ask that." I was given another tickle to my sore abs before he went to stroking his chin.

"Is it Samuel?"

"Have you seen the googly eyes he and Nudge give each other?"

"Right. Dylan?"

I groaned. "Don't remind me!"

He took my hands into his, lightly tracing his fingers over the bruised knuckles of the one I punched Dylan with. "Um…Ari?"

"You do realize he's literally the spawn of the devil right?"

His lightly-smirking face was closer now. "Gazmeister?"

"He's reserved for our dearest Amelia."

"Still need to talk to him about that. Dang. I'll get Shade to do it. Ummm..Kyle from the grade above us?"

"Jockbrain; not attractive."

"Miles from the soccer team?"

"Not much better than Kyle."

"TJ from Drivers Ed last year?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Westin from the Swim Team?"

"Nope."

"Scott from that one thing?"

"Nopers."

"Skylar, Jordan, Jayden, Spencer, Tom, or Kyle Dos?"

"Uh..no, no, no, no, no, nopedy-no."

"No? Hmm…Who else is there Max?"

_You._

I bit my lip, but opened my mouth to give him a hint before he covered it with his hand.

"No, no, no, Max_, I_'m the one guessing here." I rolled my eyes. "Is he about 6' 3"?"

"6' 2 ½ " actually." He play glared at me.

"What color hair does he have?"

"Dark as midnight but purple-y in the sunrise." A ghost of a smile crossed his face.

"Amazing six pack?"

I bit my lip, pretending to think about it when Fang tickled me again. Laughing, "Ok! Ok! Yes! He has a hot six pack!"

He smirked, "You think he's hot?"

"I never said that!"

"It was implied, Best Friend."

"Pfft. Best Friend?"

"Yes, Best Friend?"

"You're crushing me."

"And whose fault is that?"

"The boy I'm looking at." I stick my tongue out as Fang winks at me.

"You like it."

Laughing, He pulls me back up into his side and asks, "So Maxy," I turn and look him in the eye. "what're you gonna do?"

"Right now?" He nods. "I want to dance and run around in the rain with my best friend. If he wants to."

"But you're still cold."

"Aaaaaaaaand?"

"Good point…let's go!" Fang laughed, pulling me out of the tube.

* * *

I was just getting home, Fang waving to me from down the sidewalk. Opening the front door and slipping my swashing shoes off, I walked into the kitchen.

"Max?" My mom asked, turning to see me, "Why in the world are you dripping wet?"

"I left when I got the text and it started raining so I went swinging in the park."

"And you got drenched. Swinging. For two hours…..?" _holy crap, two hours!_

I nod, rolling my lips in and out.

"Somebody's hiding something. What happened at the park?" I stay silent. "Was it Shade?" My mouth pinches together, unsure of what to do.

"Sort of…."

"You. Shower. Sweats. I'll make the cookies."

"Mmkay. Thanks Ma, I'd hug you but…I'm kind of…"

"Sopping wet?" I nod laughing quietly. "Go shower, you're making a puddle." We both laugh as I make my way up the stairs.

"Thanks Mom."

* * *

The rain hadn't let up by the time I was going back downstairs in my gray sweats and XL t-shirt from a concert Fang, Iggy, Shade, and I went to before the whole dating mess came around. Before I even hit the bottom step I could smell them. Mom's Cookies.

"Have I told you how much I love you, Mommy?"

"_Finally! _Get over here girly! I've got fresh-from-the-oven cookies, hot chocolate with whipped cream, and the fireplace is crackling."

"Ok so I _really _love you. A lot." I said, sitting down on the couch and shoving a cookie into my mouth.

"Feeling better?" I shake my head. "You've always hidden your feelings, Honey. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"It's Fang….."


	9. Figures

_Sorry guys, it's been a pretty crazy weekend but I'm updating and hopefully this helps make up for the cliffy….It's only 5 pages in word and has another cliffy..Please don't eat me….Enjoy the chapter!_

**BroCode Ch. 9- Figures**

_"It's Fang…"_

"I figured." I narrowed my eyes before smiling.

"I...don't really know how to start, Mom.."

"One, girl talk=don't call me Mom. Two, do you like him?" I nodded, smiling more at her request. "How much?"

I froze. _Too much. _"A lot more than I ever thought possible."

"More than Shade?" I nodded without hesitation, remembering everything in the tube. "Does Shade know?" I looked down and rubbed the rim of my mug nervously. "Max…" She breathed, shaking her head lightly. "Does Fang?"

My face heated up so I hid it behind a sip of chocolate bliss.

"Oh?"

I looked up at her, my eyebrows raised higher than I knew possible. "'oh?' That's all you say? I thought you would be freaking out at me!"

"Max, it's _me _you're talking to. The mom who gives advice to high school boys and girls. I know things that you don't even know about."

"Such as?" I asked, curious. _Does she know what's going on with Shade and Fang?_

"Nice try. I'll tell you someday. Maybe."

"Fair enough."

"Soooo!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Urg. Max, you're hopeless. Just start from when you first started thinking you like him."

"Well, we were 7 and playing truth or dare with Iggy—"

"Not _that _far, I already know your first kiss story. When did you _recently_ realize it?"

"You're gonna be mad."

"I swear on your life and mine, I won't punish you." She said, smiling.

"Oh that's very reassuring." I twisted my mouth up, accusingly. "Well, after the dinner with Satan," We both started laughing, "And you went inside when Shade came over…uh...he wasn't who I wanted to see…Fang was hiding in the tree waiting to come in and talk to me and heard everything Shade said and…I didn't tell him anything. I've only ever told Fang about the Devil and, to be honest, don't trust anyone else enough to share that obnoxious detail of my life.."

"Does Shade know about Fang coming over?"

I shake my head. _Thank goodness._ "But Shade kept asking why I wouldn't talk to him—open up to him..I can't…"

"Max, why did you say yes to Shade when he asked you to be his girlfriend?"

"You'll be mad if I tell you."

"I might get mad, but I won't punish you. Besides we're not going anywhere until you fess up."

"Well…when Shade asked me out he was best friends with Iggy and he's always been like a big brother to me so he knew how Shade like me and Ig beat him up a little so I felt bad…I couldn't say no because then he would've gotten hurt for nothing…"

"You're not telling me something. I can see it in your eyes."

"You. _Can. Not." _I said, with narrowed eyes, to which I got a pointed look from my mother. "Fine." I took a deep breath, "Well, Fang was my best friend and, yeah I knew he was cute and since he and Shade are twins and since Fang would never like me like that because I'm his best friend-boy friend person ever…"

"But?"

"But I don't _like _Shade. Not the way he wants me to. I've always liked Fang. A lot. With Shade I feel like I'm being smothered. He's a great guy but we're just friends. How do I tell him?"

"Well, we can figure that out once you tell me what is happening with Fang!"

I groaned into my mug. "Start with when Shade left the other day."

I hesitated, remembering the fragile conversation Shade and I'd had the other night. "Shade kissed me on the cheek and left, I sat on the swing for a few more minutes before coming in and saying goodnight, and I went up to my room. I was just about to get into bed when I got a text from Fang and opened the window. He asked about what happened with Voldemort but when you came in and said whatever you said about him not being my boyfriend, he completely shut off. He got really…weird. When I asked him about it, he said he was in the tree the whole time Shade was out there. He knew what I was thinking. He knew what I was asking myself the whole time."

"Then what happened?"

"We just changed subjects, stayed up late talking like old times, and fell asleep. Then you came in and woke me up. I was trying to wake him up for_ever—_but you know me, it wasn't that long—but I kept dozing in and out. He rolled over onto me when I wouldn't stop bugging him and I called him by his full name. Then…" I went silent but Mom arched her eyebrows, her eyes wide like they are when she finds a 'good chick flick' hah. Right. "He uhh…kissed me"

"And?"

"And I kissed him back…and the whole time I wasn't thinking about Shade or what was wrong with what Fang and I were doing, the world was just _gone_ and how much I didn't want it to end."

"Keep going"

"Then he said we really should get up and so we did and he gave me the kind of hugs that only Fang can give and disappeared." I rolled my lips in and out, "I like just being with Fang, doing absolutely nothing, more than I like Shade altogether."

It was silent as my mom took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Do you love him, Max?" She asked.

"It depends on what you call love."

"Love can be a number of things. Having that one person you talk to about anything,"

"Fang said something like that at the park…"

Her eyes got more excited than I'd ever seen them. "You ran into him at the park!"

I looked up at her shyly, "Did I forget to tell you that part?"

"Uh, yeah! You did!"

"Um. Well. When I was swinging, someone started pushing me and, I mean, I _knew_ it was Fang because I can practically _feel _when he's near me. So he pushed me on the swing for a while until it was pouring so hard that seeing three feet ahead was impossible. He pulled me into the tube on the playground and we sat there until the rain lightened up."

"You're a bad liar, Maxy."

"Odd, Fang says the same thing." She smirked.

"How were you sitting in there?"

"It's bigger than the average playground—we've fit the entire flock in there at one time remember?"

"Until Gazmeister lived up to his name and Nudge passed out I remember. But that's not what I meant and you know it."

I chuckled (and cringed) at the memory of last year's Gazzy incident before giving in. "Fine. He was warm and I was freezing so I was curled into his side with his arms around me and my head on his chest."

"Aaaaand?"

"_Someone's excited._" I joked before seeing the glare I'd inherited used against me. "I started to fall asleep because everything just melted away like always. But then everything that you and Ig and Fang and even I have said about what's gone on in the past few days and I asked him—vaguely—about everything going on in my head and he started saying all those kinds of things. The King of Guilt Trips won after a very long tickle torture and questioning and now he knows I don't like Shade and plan to set him up with Missy since she really likes him."

"What did Iggy have to say about all this?"

"He just said stuff like the inner voice he always is when the idiocy goes away." Her pointed look kept me talking. "'_Do you care about Shade like you care about Fang?_' is what he said." I made air quotes as I spoke. "The dimwit kept me up half the night with that one." _Well, that and the fact that my bed smelled like Fang but I'm not about to tell that to my _Mom.

_Come on. I'm not _that_ open with her._

"Who knew Ig would say something that intuitive?" Mom asked, making both of us laugh. "But seriously Dollface, you need to tell Shade."

"But _how _do I _do _that?"

"The best way to do it is to be direct. Just have him meet you somewhere and just talk to each other and figure everything out."

"Ok, I'll go do—" I start, shifting the blankets so I can get off the couch. I'm stopped by my smiling mother pulling me back down.

"Ah, ah, ah, I'm not done with you yet. The twins can wait until tomorrow, right now I want to talk about them with the girl they're fighting over."

I give her a confused look as I settle back into the couch. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you love Fang?" She asked with a 'duh' look.

"I uh…I..Um..I'm always thinking about him, whenever he's with me—when we're dancing, for instance—everything in the world just melts away. We can read each other like a favorite book, I know him better than anyone and he knows me better than I know myself. When he's around, I feel safe; nothing can hurt me—no _one _ can hurt me…" I trail off, looking at the smiling woman on the other end of the couch. "What?" I ask.

"No further questions."

"Wait. _What_?"

"Baby, when you were talking about him you got the cutest expression on your face and this dreamy, lovey-dovey look in your eyes and a dopey smile. You love him. I can see that—heck, Iggy can see that."

"Oh hush. You've always been able to tell these things before I can."

"So has Fang."

I froze. "Do you think he knows?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"But does he feel the same way?"

"If the fact that he's stuck around through you dating his twin or the way he looks at you when he thinks no one can see isn't enough for you then you'll find out soon enough."

"Wha'?" I ask, confused.

"Take a nap, Max. I'm going to make more cookies."

"Can I help?" I keep my face as innocent as I can.

She hesitated, "Um…no."

We both laugh as she walks through the archway into the kitchen and I lay down trying to clear my racing thoughts. Little did I know, that nap would leave me more nervous than ever.


	10. Early Mornings

_I hope this chapter clears up some of the inconcreteness of Max's feelings from last chapter! Let me know what you think and if I should include some of Fang's dream and/or a conversation or two between Shade and Fang in the next few chapters. If you have any questions, PM or review them to me and I'll do my best to answer them a.s.a.p! :) I'm soooo unbelievably sorry this took so long!_

**BroCode Ch.10—**

_Black mist surrounds me as I walk down a dimly lit hallway, the light padding of my bare feet masked by it. The mist clears as the path splits into two directions, two figures in the distance,—one blue, the other green—Fang's pleading face disappearing into the mist. Soon there was only one path with a smug-looking Shade turning and walking away._

I woke up, confused and—to be honest—freaking out (inside of course), only to see a plate of cookies with warmth drifting off it sitting on the coffee table. A glass of milk sat next to it, condensation dripping onto the table beneath it.

_Hahah Oh, Momma._

I picked up the delights beside me and walked upstairs, passing many windows still getting pounded by rain, and slipping into my room. My door closed, I put the contents of my hands on the white window seat.

After retrieving my writing notebook and lucky feather gel pen, I sat, my back against the alcove wall, and started writing, hardly seeing the words pouring out onto the page.

_Dear Shane Thomas Samuels,  
__Remember when Angel first met Amelia and she had a stuffy nose? Remember how she gave you your name? She was so little and could hardly talk but you thought she was the cutest thing in the world as soon as she called you Shade. I miss those days._

_I miss the days when you, Ig, Fang, and I were the three musketeers + D'Artagnon and we'd goof around like I was just one of the guys-no feelings involved. No awkward, no question, no problem._

_I don't really know how to tell you this but I'm just going for it: I don't feel how you want me to. You'll always be my friend but I can't keep lying to you. I'm sorry I never tell you everything but I just can't. I trust you, I really do, but there are some things that I have to deal with on my own. My issues are mine and I don't want you to worry about me. I'm sorry but I just can't be who you want, that girl isn't me. We're not for each other. You deserve someone who really cares about you and sees you as more than a brother._

_I hope you can forgive me but if you don't I understand. I've lied to you, hidden from you, cheated you, and even cheated on you and I am so incredibly sorry, Shade. I'm a horrible girlfriend and I hope you can forgive me. Lissa really likes you. A lot. I'm sure you'd really like her if you'd give her a chance. Don't do it for me, do it for you-do it for her._

_I care about you but I can't do this anymore, I'm so sorry. I love you Shade, just not enough.  
__~MAX_

Stuffing another cookie into my mouth, I turned the page and went on.

_Fang. Fang Fang Fang Fang. Best friend ever.  
__What can I possibly say to you that you can't already know? I can't even begin to tell you how much you mean to me. All that's ever on my mind is you. I love the way you scrunch your face whenever I mess up your hair, I get lost in your eyes, I love it when you smile the smile reserved for only me. You're my life saver. You've saved me from going crazy more times than you realize and I can't imagine a day without you. I can trust you with everything, I can tell you (nearly) everything, and I wish I could just say how much you really mean to me._

_I love you, Fang. Everyone says that you feel the same way but I can't find it in myself to believe them unless I hear it from you. Best friends—neighbors—falling in love. Hah. How cliché is that. _

_But can you promise me one thing? Whether it's true or not, promise me we'll still be best friends. You'll still slip in through my window, we'll still have silent conversations, and the secrets we don't even realize exist. __I love you, I wish I could tell you in person but I know you'll never see this and, for now, it's enough to keep me going—keep me sane.  
__~MAX (Your completely sane best friend. Hah.)_

I walked over to my bed, the clear-of-crumbs cookie plate forgotten on the window seat. Notebook in hands, I belly-flopped onto the light blue and blugrass green bed and doodled across the blank space at the end of Shade's letter, my mind wandering.

_I'm standing in a park devoid of all colors. As the scene comes into full view I realized I'm holding hands with someone. With the turn of my head I see Shade looking at me with his flirty, player smile—the one he'd give girls at school before he asked me out—only this time it missed all of the teasing behind it. It felt as if I'd simply blinked and the scene changed; Shade and Missy were sitting on the bench he'd asked me out on, both of them smiling, and Shade's arms around her. I was alone on the swing I'd been in just hours ago until Fang walked up beside me from behind. His dark blue dress shirt stood out against the gray background. "Come on, Beautiful." He spoke, opening his hand to me. The moment our skin connected, the bright green of the grass faded into view. Suddenly I felt like I was floating, landing lightly in a meadow. Fang's leaning beside me with his left arm propping him on his side, his right brushing my hair out of my face. He was whispering words I couldn't hear before kissing my temple, "Think about it, Max."_

I opened my eyes slowly and, after realizing I'd fallen asleep, looked at my watch. _Three in the morning? I dozed off for six and a half hours? _Lifting my head I found myself tucked into bed, my notebook closed on the bedside table, a picture atop it. _That's the picture from Fang's bedside table...what in the world is it doing here? _Pulling myself up to look at the crooked picture I saw the memory as clear as the day it happened.

_It was the late fall of sophomore year and Iggy, Shade, Fang, and I were walking around neighborhood and I had Fang's favorite hoodie on (I stole it…from his closet…while he was sleeping...). I was on his back giving him the noogy of his life with Shade a few feet away, bent over laughing. Iggy's pointer finger blocked the far edge of trees. _

Curling up in my covers, I stared between my best friend's stubborn-pouting face and my now-boyfriend's red-tinted laughing face. _What a mess I've made. _After pulling my eyes off the picture I turned it over, searching for anything that would give a reason to why it's in my room.

_"__**Think about it, Max.**__"_was written in pen at the top right corner, an eraser mark beneath it, anything originally written rubbed away. Wait…Fang came in last night and…he tucked me into bed and closed my notebook and moved my plate and was talking to me in real life while I was dreaming and….oh my goodness, the notebook. _Fang read it. Oh dear, Fang read it. But, what does it matter? It's just….What was I thinking? _

_Ugh I need to talk to Iggy._

I searched through my bed for my phone and opened a new message. _Oi. Igs. You up?_

After 20 minutes without a reply I pulled myself out of the warmth of my quilts and went to shower. Being the impatient, nervous person that I am, I stayed under the warm flow, trying to sort out the mess of my thoughts—my phone on the counter not but a few feet away. About two hours later, once dressed, hair and teeth brushed, bed made, room and bathroom cleaned, he replied. Why on earth Iggy was up at almost six in the morning in the summer, don't ask me.

_Yeah, what happened?_

I told him I was coming over and, no questions asked, he pulled me through his front door and into his game room downstairs.

"Spill."

"I have one question first, why are you up so early?" I narrowed my eyes at him and pinched my lips together.

"That, my dear neighbor, is for me to know and you to not."

He sat on the opposite end of the couch, smiling smugly. "You look like you've been out. It's not hunting season, there aren't any Halo or COD tourneys this week, and your dad hates camping in July. What were you doing?"

The smug look melted off his face, only to be replaced by his 'Me be wise old dude' face. "You knowing that depends on what you have to tell me."

"It's about…well…"

"Let me guess: the two dark 'angels' as some girls say?"

I just raised my eyebrow at his word choice, trying to suppress the blush shooting to the surface. "Yes."

"Whoa. Call the press, James Michael Dawson got a straight answer from Maximum Ride. This must be big."

"Would you shut your face for two minutes?" I asked, play glaring at him.

"Yes ma'am. Now _spill._"

"You can be a real girl sometimes, you know that?" He simply smiled at me, "Well, anyways, uh, yesterday was kind of a big day and I…" The next hour was spent telling him of everything that's happened over the past four and a halfish days. Him giving understanding nods and encouraging looks at every pause and interrupted long stories to tell me I was going 'off to La La Land with smiles again'.

"And you really think he read the letter? Fang has more respect for privacy than that and we both know it."

"I know, and I trust him, it's just…everything that's happened and….all the stuff I wrote in there's making me paranoid and how I don't know what to say to Shade when I break up with him and knowing that it's going to hurt him an—"

"Trust me, Max, it'll all work out. And as for the letters, I have it from the source that the letters remain unread by everyone other than the author."

"You were with him this morning weren't you?"

"I never said that."

"Oh, but you did."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Really, Ig? This again?"

The mostly-blind eyes, filled with teasing and mischief, winked at me. "Why? Are you suggesting we do something…_else_?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Pervert."

"But that's why you love me."

"I'm having déjà vu right now. What the heck?"

"Three weeks ago, Nudge's basement, you and me, truth or dare."

"Oh yeah, when Nudge dared me to do something and your big ol' nasty brain took it the wrong way. Now I remember." I laughed, finishing what I was saying. "Hey, Ig. When should we implement Plan L: before or after I break up with Shade?"

"Definitely after. I'll talk to him while he's weepy. When's the big debacle?"

"Today. I can't take it knowing that I'm still going out with him when everything with Fang is…you know."

"That I do, little sister." He said, throwing his arm over my shoulders.

I looked at him, a curious eyebrow raised. "You _do _know I'm older than you, right?"

"Uh, Duh? You _do _know you're not really my sister, right?" he asked, mocking me.

"Uh, Duh?" We both started laughing only to be interrupted by the alarm on my phone, the strawberry-haired boy jumping up, throwing his arms into the air.

"Holy shnikees!" He looked down at the screen "Please tell me that's not the real time!"

"Stop yelling, Spazzface. It's 7:15—no one in their right minds are up right now."

He looked down at me, pursing his lips. "Yeah, we reeeeally don't fit into that category, do we?" I laughed again at his tired, gone-to-the-world face.

Getting up from the couch, I shoved him sideward by his head, him winding up laying on the down. "Whuwhuzatfo?" he asked, his voice muffled by sleep and the pillow.

"Go to sleep, Pyro."

I could've sworn I saw him smile as his heavy breathing filled the room.

_On to the hard part _I thought, opening a new text message, typing it in and pressing send before I could reconsider.

**We need to talk.**

_Message sent__**.**_


	11. The Big Day

While writing this, the song "The Mess I Made" by Parachute kept popping into my head (BAM. Title—no copyright intended, by the way, I just thought it fit nicely)...It added to the dramatics of everything…The chapter basically changed into a movie scene in my head when I listened to it :) Hope you like it! The love is in the air, my fantastic readers.

BroCode Ch. 11- The Mess I Made

I walked bare footed through the damp grass, over to my porch steps. Walking up the fake wood paneling and falling into the white wicker chairs, I felt _everything_. Peaceful and anxious, now that the point of no return has been passed and Shade would finally know the truth, excited to be free of the guilt of being with Fang, nervous that what everyone's been saying about Fang is wrong, and just plain….scared that Shade would never talk to me again. But I'd never admit that to anyone. No. No I wouldn't.

Sitting back in my chair, I closed my eyes and was lost in a daydream.

"_Max, come on, pulllleeeease? Please please please please—" Shade was elbowed out of the way by his twin, his hands together begging._

"_Don't listen to him! _I'm _your best friend, give it to m—" My best friend was shoved out of the way by the carrot top from next door._

"_The fate of the universe depends on me lighting th—"_

"_No! It's my last sparkler and _you _are not getting it!"_

"_Awwwwww pleeeeease?" my three best friends whined in unison._

_I simply laughed and ran across the yard to my mom, where she stood holding the blowtorch. "Hey Sweets, those boys _still _begging you for that?" She asked, laughing as I nodded. She leaned closer to me and put her hand up to keep her words secret from the three boys pushing each other over while giving me Bambi Eyes, Puppy dog pouts, and pleading words. "Do you think we should tell them about the snappers we have in the garage?" My seven year old form covered her mouth and giggled, shaking her head. "We'll wait until the hot dogs are ready, sound good?" Her face was lit up in a smile, as I nodded, giggling still._

"_Maaaaaaaaax, pleeeeeeeease?" Iggy whined, pulling his head up from the grass and rolling out from under Shade's foot, knocking Fang over in the process. _

"_HEY!" Fang pouted, looking up at his twin. _

"_TAG! You're it!" I called running across my front yard, my three neighbors and I chasing each other, laughing and tackling one another all the while._

My phone vibrated, pulling me out of my memory.

_One New Message from: Shade_ Holy crap! It's 10:30?

**I'll be home before 7. My dad took me and fang fishing. I can come by after I shower?**

_**Sounds good. See you then.**_

**Can't wait babe. **

I took a deep breath. _It doesn't matter what he calls me, I just _need _to talk to him. I'm not going to chicken out.__I can do this._I repeated to myself.

Sighing, I retreated to my kitchen and ate a late lunch of cereal and danced around to my iPod. It wasn't long I got bored and turned it off. "Fine, running it is." I said—yes, I was talking to myself. Being home alone is lonely—_and _redundant—ok?

I changed into my track shorts and a loose t-shirt before lacing up my trainers and popping my headphones in.

I ran, my thoughts disappearing as the music took over my every action. Keeping pace with the guitar riffs, my feet tapping the pavement and propelling myself further.

I found myself jogging up my street an hour later, my legs in dire need of stretching as I walked up to the front door.

"Mom?" I hollered

"Hey Baby, did you talk to the boyfriend yet?"

Laughing lightly, I walked into the sitting room where she was talking with Valencia.

"Nope, he's out fishing with his dad and Fang so the plan has to wait for him to get home."

"Any ideas of when that'll be?"

"Any time around 7."

"What're you two ladies up to?"

"Just, you know, getting Val up to speed on the neighborhood."

"Tell her about the bulldog-chihuahua-lab attack dog down the street yet?" I asked, biting my lip.

Val laughed, "Yep, and its weakness is pumpkin, hahha I've heard about that one."

"Mrs. Fletcher's prune garden that all animals—and parched teenagers-should steer clear of?"

Mom took her turn to laugh as Val smiled, "Noted."

"Julie Martin's devil children that even desperately poor teenagers should ever agree to babysit?"

"I was just getting to that" Mom added, laughing at my concerned face. "Now go shower. You smell like Fang and Ig after they clean Ig's pool in the middle of the day."

"Wow. Gee. Thanks Ma, love you too." Val giggled along with my mom as I fake-pouted up the stairs to wash away the sweat and stress.

The shower helped calm me down and gave me time to think over what I would do and say to Shade or dream about what could happen when I told Fang what was on my mind.

* * *

Two and a half hours later I was sitting on my roof, writing a story in my notebook (I _guess _you could call it a journal...but..ok, yeah, it's a diary.). Now, this was no ordinary story, it had tales of crazy experiments and explosions mixed with running away to be with a certain deep-as-the-deepest-depths-of-the-ocean-blue eyed boy.

"MAX! DINNER!" I heard my mom call around 6:20, snapping me out of the world i'd created.

* * *

At 6:57 Shade walked up my driveway, his hands in the pockets of his basketball shorts. "Hey Babe, is everything okay?" He asked, his eyebrows lifting in concern.

_Do it, Max. Now's your chance. SAY IT._

"Do you want to go for a walk?" _Wow. Really? Let me just mentally face palm repeatedly before falling into a puddle of LAME._

He smiled, extending his hand to me "Of course."

I pushed myself out of the chair and walked over to him, crossing my arms in front of me, my nerves finally catching up to me.

We walked to the next street over before he broke the silence. "Is everything ok, Max? What's bothering you?" He asked, leading me to the sidewalk with his hand on my back.

I rolled my lips in and out, wetting them. "Shade, I…" I started, ducking to dodge the tree branch dipping across the path. We walked down the street, me gathering my thoughts as we approached the bench he asked me out on.

His hand fell to his side, his face dropping. "This is about Fang, isn't it." He stated, standing still. I pulled him to the bench, biting my lip.

"Shade, I…I've been lying to you and I can't keep doing this…I care about you but…I just can't. I can't keep pretending there's nothing going on."

He let out a deep breath, "Max, you're not the only liar in this relationship."

I looked over at him, my eyebrows knitted together. "What are you talking about?"

"Max, I've been keeping a….big piece of information from you..,"

"What do you mean? What's going on, Shade?"

"Max, I asked you out because Fang liked you. Not me. We….we made the dumbest deal when you moved in…." He dropped his head into his hands, hunching over on the bench. "I called dibs on you because I was older and Fang kept bugging me to break the deal and I wouldn't do it…I know how much he likes you so I asked you out saying it was part of our deal but really I was just...being a jerk…"

I sat on the opposite side of the bench, my knees pulled to my chest. "Did you ever actually like me or was this all just a game to tick you brother off?"

"I know how lame this is going to sound but I started to when we were together after a while. Really, I did, I just…You're just so _stubborn! _You never let me in, you don't trust me, you close yourself off, Fang disappears for hours at a time with no explanation and when he gets home he smells like you. Max, we've been lying to each other for a long time, I'm surprised it took you this long to bring it up."

"One, Fang and I never did anything bad when he'd 'disappear'; two, _**I**__'m _the stubborn one? Wow, you've been dating me _just _to drive your brother crazy no matter how hard he begged you to break it off; three, **why didn't you say anything? **I've felt _so _guilty these past few weeks because I thought you were telling me the truth when you told me you 'love' me. Why'd you string me along, Shade?"

He sighed and turned to look at me. "Male pride? I don't really know. I guess, somewhere inside me I was wishing you weren't trading me for my twin but we both know you were never really mine."

"You never wanted me in the first place. I know the look you get when you see a girl you're interested in, Shade. Fantastic Four, remember? I was one of the guys until you asked me out and you _never _look at me like you look at Lissa. Why'd you string me along when we both wanted to be with different people? We're practically siblings and now we're bickering about this—we're completely ridiculous." I finished, laughing lightly.

He smiled at me, offering his hand. "No hard feelings then?"

We shook hands smiling, "Not at all."

"It's been a pleasure breaking up with you." He said, looking truly happy for the first time in a long time.

"Likewise." I said, standing and straightening my clothes. "And Shade? Give it a shot with Missy."

"Oh, I intend to." He said grinning like his idiot self.

I turned and started walking away, nerves and excitement washing over me in a wave.

"Hey Max?" He called over to me.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning around.

"Go get him." He called smiling.

"Oh I intend to." I replied, turning and pulling out my phone.

_Fang. Fang. Fang. Fang. Fang. Yes!_ I pushed call and held the phone to my ear.

"Can't talk, leave a message." _I'd forgotten how __**Fang**__ his answering machine was._

"Ughhh, come on Fang. Pick up, pick up, pick up." I muttered pushing redial.

"Can't talk, leave a message."

"Uggghhhhhh, _come __**on, **_Fang!"

_Please pick up, Fang. Please please please please please pick up._

_"_Can't talk, leave a message."

I got home to a silent house and a note on the counter.

_**MAX—**_

_**Went to Val's, call if you need me. Hope everything works out, Hun.**_

_**-YO MAMA**_

_Please pick up Fang.. "_Can't talk, -"

_What the heck? _I thought, hanging up. _Fang __**always **__answers when I call him…What. The. Heck._

Frustrated, I walked up the stairs and down the hall to my room. I felt the warm breeze from the still-open window float through the crack under the door, the faint smell of rain instantly calming me down. Sighing, all of the excitement slowly melting out of my body, I turned the knob and walked in.

My eyes closed, I walked over to the bookshelf, my back facing the rest of the space. I froze when I heard familiar breathing coming from the window seat.

Turning around slowly, my thoughts were confirmed, "Fang" I breathed, the pained look in his eyes nearly driving me to tears. What could possibly make Fang hurt so badly?


	12. Breathing

_Hello my amazing readers! I know I said I'd have this up over the weekend—and I'm sorry about not having it done-but compared to past updates, nah, no excuses. Buuuuuut here is the chapter you've all been waiting for! (Ten points to anyone who catches the two book/bird references in this chapter!)_

**BroCode Ch. 12-Breathing**

I turned around, my hand slipping up to the necklace I got last Christmas from the boy looking over at me. "Fang…"

"Max, if I ask you a question…do you swear that, no matter how bad it sounds, you'll answer it honestly?" Fang whispered, the pleading, lost look in his eyes nearly driving me to tears.

"Of course, Fang." I answered standing a little straighter.

He took a deep breath as he looked at his hands, his eyebrows crinkling together the slightest bit. "I know this is going to sound terribly coming from me but...I just….Max, why are you going out with Shade?" He looked back up at me "We both know you don't feel anything but friendship for him. He knows as well as we do that you don't like him, he doesn't know you, you don't trust him the way you trust…" He cut himself off and looked back down.

I walked over to the bed and sat beside him. Cupping one side of his face, I turned him to me. "The way I trust who, Fang?" I asked his closed eyes.

He was silent as he rolled his lips before looking me in the eyes. The intensity of his eyes made me freeze. He looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that could ever matter; a look I'd never seen from him before; a look that told me he'd go, do, or be anything for me because I was all that matters. He spoke so quietly that I wouldn't have heard him if I hadn't been holding my breath, "Me."

I pressed my eyes closed as I took a deep shuddering breath. Dropping my arms to my sides I started softly, "You're going to think that I'm the stupidest person you've ever met…Fang, I said yes because I…" I stuttered searching for the right words. "Fang, I said yes because I thought you didn't want me like that…you didn't ever want me like that…and if you didn't want me I could pretend that he was you…" I took a deep breath as a tear slid down my face. "I used him because I couldn't have you. I used him because he was the closest to you I could get….because you didn't want me…" I finished in barely a whisper, closing my eyes again as the tears slowly fell.

The weight on the bed disappeared and I thought the dark haired boy had slipped through the window as silently as he'd come, my tears falling faster at the thought. I reached up to wipe my cheekbones dry but was beat to it by warm, calloused hands sliding onto my face where soft thumbs wiped gently at the droplets and the trails they'd left behind. Eyes still closed, I lifted my hands to his and slid them down his forearms.

He moved his hands into my hair and leaned his forehead against mine from where he knelt in front of me. "Max, I've wanted you since you moved in eleven years ago. Shade and I made the dumbest deal; that since he was older, he got dibs. If you ended up not wanting him, I'd get my chance…Max, the last thing I've ever wanted to do is hurt you, I'm so sorry, Max. I can't just sit back and watch while you try to make it wor—"

"I broke up with him, Fang." He looked at me, his eyes widening the slightest bit. "I can't lie to myself anymore. I realized, after we kissed that morning, that you matter more than him; that everything I have with him over the past eleven years are just a fraction of what I have with you …that I…" I swallowed, stopping my rant.

"I love you, Max." He whispered, caressing my jaw line with his fingertips, the side of his nose rubbing against mine. "More than I ever thought I could."

I smiled at him, "I love you too, Fang."

We sat there-me leaning half off my bed and Fang kneeling in front of me, my arms wrapped up his back, holding his shoulders, his hands wound into my hair—as our breathing synced together.

"Never let go." I whispered.

His eyelashes tickled my cheeks as our eyes connected again. "I won't, not ever."

"Pinky promise?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Naw, better." He whispered near-silent as he brought his lips to mine. The world melted away, leaving only Fang and me.

We pulled apart, barely breathing as he went on, "I love you Maximum Ava Ride. I love you more than anyth—" I smiled and cupped his face in my hands, pulling his lips back to mine.

Fang pulled away first and, hugging me to him, stood up. It was nearly déjà vu as we stood together by my window for the second time this week, our arms wrapped around each other. The slight change in the atmosphere sunk in as we realized what was happening, that _we _were happening.

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. I leaned my head to the side, not letting go of Fang. "Come in."

The door cracked open, my mom's head poking in through the crack. She smiled at us, he eyes lighting up. "The flock's downstairs. Iggy's giving me the night off on kitchen duty so I'm off to the mall with Val. He told me to tell you 'it's time' whatever that means." She said, adding air quotes.

"Thanks, Momma. We'll be down in a sec."

She smiled again and slipped out, clicking the door shut on her way.

"Max?" I leaned my chin against Fang's chest and looked up into his eyes. "What did she mean 'it's time'?"

" 'Plan L' " He arched an eyebrow at me, smirking lightly. "Lissa likes Shade, Shade's single and like—"

He smiled at me before kissing my forehead. "I like the way you think."

"It was mostly Iggy's idea."

"Don't ruin it." He joked, pressing a quick kiss to my smiling lips.

The smell of Iggy's cooking had found its way up the hallway and I looked up at Fang with bambi eyes. He chuckled and slipped his hand into mine, pulling me down to the undoubtedly blow-your-mind good food that awaited.

_Oh, I love that boy._


End file.
